1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that provides user services relating to image forming processes such as copying, printing, scanning, facsimile and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a scanned data process method for transferring scanned data to a Web server and the like on the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an image forming apparatus (to be referred to as a compound machine hereinafter) that includes functions of a printer, a copier, a facsimile, a scanner and the like in a cabinet is generally known. The compound machine includes a display part, a printing part and an image pickup part and the like in a cabinet. In the compound machine, three pieces of software corresponding to the printer, copier and facsimile respectively are provided, so that the compound machine functions as the printer, the copier, the scanner and the facsimile respectively by switching the software.
Since the conventional compound machine is provided with each software for the printer, the copier, the scanner and the facsimile individually, much time is required for developing the software. Therefore, the applicant has developed an image forming apparatus (compound machine) including hardware resources, a plurality of applications, and a platform including various control services provided between the applications and the hardware resources. The hardware resources include a display part, a printing part and an image pickup part, and are used for image forming processes. The applications perform processes intrinsic for user services of printer, copier and facsimile and the like. The platform includes various control services performing management of hardware resources necessary for at least two applications commonly, performing execution control of the applications, and image forming processes, when a user service is executed.
According to such a compound machine, the scanned data produced by scanning a document by the scanner is immediately printed or stored in a storage such as a hard disk.
However, there is a case in which it is necessary to store scanned data in a computer on a network rather than in the compound machine. That is, since the compound machine is frequently used by many users, failure of the compound machine or failure of a storage in the compound machine may arise. In such a case, the scanned data in the compound machine can not be read out.
In addition, in a case in which many compound machines are connected on the network, if the number of pieces of scanned data managed in each compound machine increases, it is necessary to determine which compound machine stores scanned data to be used. Thus, efficiency for using scanned data is not good.